WW1 Diary Entries
by IggyBlob
Summary: I wrote this a couple years ago for a history assessment. Should be accurate but if it's not I'm deeply sorry. 3 Diary Entries from a solider called Arthur Kirkland in WW1. Contains war and the conditions. Oh and 1 death.
1. Chapter 1

December 24st 1915

My hand writing's all over the place, I can't stop shaking, knowing I could die at any second. I'm still hoping that I don't end up with this shellshock like my poor brother Allistor had and because of the condition he was called a coward. Today he wasn't able to cope with it any longer and was shot right in front of my eyes. Who can do that? Who can kill one of their own comrades?

Plus to my disgust and sorrow, I saw rats the sizes of cats eating away at him like he was just food sent for them. However not only did that happen, I was returned to the death line (front line) from the Reserve Trench and the conditions are even worse. The latrines are everywhere. As it's one of the other sides targets to make the trenches filled with feces to make us ill besides they said it's meant to rain tonight and I've been put on guard duty, While the others are off collecting food, water, letters from our family also they collect what first aid we can have.

As much as I want to go home, I don't want to go home suffering from trench-foot it's a horrible condition that is caused by the wet, cold and the insanitary conditions.

Arthur Kirkland

In this war, there are NO cowards!


	2. Chapter 2

December 25th 1915

Dear Diary,

The darkness of the trench walls feels as if they're closing in and suffocating me.

Did I make the wrong choice? Was this war fever a scam to make us Brits think fighting in this war was fun…

Today is Christmas day I will always remember it in my heart.

Usually we normally only get to eat corned beef and we are required to soak it before eating I can't describe the taste it's just horrible. And to some people, it was the best thing they have ever eaten. Luckily today we got bacon, cheeses and jam to share, all the gun fire has stopped. Though I never realized how quite it really is without men crying and the gun shots down my ear every single second.

My partner sent me their homemade Christmas cookies with a lovely letter from the family telling me about home. However what I really want for Christmas is clean water to have a proper wash. As I'm full of lice and other small insects and it's causing me to be really itchy. I also think I'm getting trench-foot as my feet have started to swell and all the skin's peeling off around my ankle, the pain's killing me. Although that never stopped me from playing a game of football and having fun with the Germans as a truce was called because of it being Christmas day, We spent the full day talking about our families back at home, we became great friends and even swapped gifts and pictures. Some of us even swapped Addresses. However at the end of the day we had to go back to killing them again. There were a number of people refusing but the general said if we don't carry on he will shot us…

How can I carry on? I moaned about them killing a comrade. How can I kill a friend?

Arthur Kirkland


	3. Chapter 3

December 26th 1915

Dear Diary

All I can hear are exploding bombs and the screams of agony. They carried on though out the night with the constant cry of death creeping louder and closer. Laying this close to the explosions you can feel the haunt of death fall upon you. The smell of fresh blood with a strong sent of gun powder filled the air. I want to step out my hole in the trench to see what's happening. Are the Germans in the trench or are they just setting bombs off?

I snuck out the hole just in case there was Germans and before I moved anywhere I looked up at the sky and said "If I die today, keep my family safe and out of this death trap." When I looked out in to reality all there was, was bodies scatted across the floor with rats both brown and black eating the remains of what was left.

In every crater made from the bombs was a mixture of mud, Faeces and the thick red substance I felt my body turn numb with pain. I looked down into my little hole. I have been in a puddle of mud for days. I didn't even notice how sore my feet were. I can't even feel my big toe it's like a balloon and the heal is bleeding. I have trench-foot. Plus the lack of hygiene has caused me to get an infection. I don't know how long I can stay in this war. Will tonight be the last night for me? I can't cope any longer

Arthur Kirkland

War isn't a fight between 2 great countries; War is a fight between 2 innocent men.


End file.
